Gift/Charitable Contribution Processing

These procedures set forth University requirements for processing gifts/charitable contributions in the form of cash, including checks, credit cards, or other forms of currency. For procedures to handle electronic transfer of marketable securities, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, contact the University of Colorado Foundation (CU Foundation) Accounting team at accounting@cufund.org.

Per Regent Policy 13.F, the CU Foundation is designated as the primary recipient of all gifts given for the benefit of the University, except as provided in these procedures.

All gifts of cash and all gifts transferred by gift instrument (including wills, bequests, stock transfers, or other written transfers of title or ownership) shall be directed to the CU Foundation and deposited in an account owned or controlled by the CU Foundation.

This process applies whether the payee on the gift instrument is the University of Colorado Foundation, the University of Colorado, or a specific campus unit at the University. Furthermore:

• Payee/other information on the check or other gift instrument may not be modified.
• Only the CU Foundation may endorse a check that was received as a gift.

For general information on cash handling procedures, including security and timelines for making deposits, see the Accounting Handbook chapter on Cash Control.

When cash is received as a gift, the deposit is handled through the campus Designated Advancement Office as opposed to through the campus Bursar’s Office.

• Each campus must identify a Designated Advancement Office (DAO) within the campus Office of Advancement. The DAO serves as the central office for handling cash gifts. Each DAO includes at minimum one employee and one back-up employee who are fully trained in gift handling policies and procedures.
• Campus employees hand-deliver to the DAO all gifts/charitable contributions (as described above), along with a completed Cash Receipt-Gifts form and all accompanying documentation (donor description, envelopes, remittance forms, and other correspondence or forms).
• Checks and money orders must be attached to their supporting documentation with paper clips or binder clips – not staples.
• All gift deposits must identify a CU Foundation fund number. If an organizational unit does not have a CU Foundation fund number, contact the CU Foundation.

Special Notes on Processing Credit Cards

All employees should strongly encourage donors to give credit card gifts through the website, https://giving.cu.edu. This is a secure giving portal and is the preferred method for accepting credit card gifts.

In instances where online giving is not feasible and the donor wants to provide credit card information over the phone or in person, employees will refer the donor to the CU Foundation at 1800 Grant St., Denver.

Review and Reconciliation

University employees will verify and reconcile their gift deposits using the CU Foundation’s Financial Edge Reporting System. Employees will see available balance in gift funds using the University’s Finance System to look up linked SpeedTypes.

• To request access to Financial Edge, email CU Foundation. 
• To register for live training on Financial Edge, go to SkillSoft in the campus portal: CU Instructor Led Training > CU Advancement > CU: Financial Edge (Accounting System) Hands-on Training.

As a general rule, the CU Foundation at 1800 Grant St., Denver, reviews and processes gifts within two business days of receiving them. In addition, the office sends a tax receipt to the donor on the next business day after processing.

Questions about these procedures should be directed to the appropriate campus controller, who will consult with the Associate Vice President & University Controller, as appropriate.